Yesterday’s event seemed to be a meaningful success–God was honored greatly and His work was made known.  My friend Mike always puts the programs together.  This time he took the story of a holocaust victim who has been part of our church for many years.  She is not Jewish but Dutch.  She was the oldest of 6 children.  She had to witness her father’s death and even some of her own siblings.  She was placed in an orphanage separated from her remaining siblings.  She was raised a believer but thought God was a revengeful One.  She was most angry with Him.  Yet Mike wove God’s tender restoration steps into the evening’s words and songs.  (He had visited her several times recording her story so he could write the script).  At the end this lovely lady stood (with help) to a standing ovation.  It was difficult to sing while this event rolled out.  I know this lady–and I also know the same God.  How intimate and caring He is.  No matter the sins of man He takes them and turns them into a story of Grace and Mercy if we only give Him a chance.

This morning’s scripture reading is in Ezekiel.  As is Jeremiah, Ezekiel is filled with God’s warnings and judgment.  I started to tell God it is hard to read this knowing He does these things.  Yet, He nicely reminded me of the hundreds of years which took place before He finally acted on the prophecies He’d given to the people of Israel.  It was then I could easily reflect on His loving patience with me–with each of us today.  How many times does He allow us to make our mistakes and pick us up, dust us off and set us on our path of life refocused on Him.  God is the same, yesterday, today and forever.  Praise His Holy Name.

One last story before I end this–A young man from our Celebrate Recovery has been in jail in a neighboring state for a DUI which when added to the ones he had in our state, kept him there.  He has now been sentenced to 2 years in prison.  His mom contacted me so I could get some letters of encouragement to her from the guys who know her son.  She was going to see him one last time last night before he is moved to prison on the other side of the state.  I had gotten the letters to her Friday evening.  She text me late last night which I read this morning,  as she and his two siblings got to the jail last night she was unable to take the envelope of letters into the room where they converse.  As they were leaving the mom asked the guard where the post office box for the jail was so she could leave the letters in it.  The guard said to give the envelope to her and she’d take it to him right then.  This was the mom’s wish as he is being transported next week by bus to the prison.  She wanted him to have these words of encouragement in hand for the ride.  These intimate, loving ways of God are happening all around us.  I praise Him for these.  No matter the sins of man, God is far more interested in our restoration through His Son Jesus than He is in our punishment and judgment.  How I love and praise His Holy Name.